Vaporizer apparatus



p 25, 1956 L. M MANTELL 2,764,666

VAPORIZER APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

zmZZW United States Patent VAPORIZER APPARATUS Leon M. Mantel], NewYork, N. Y.

Application November 1, 1954, Serial No. 466,096

9 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to an improvement in anelectric steam vaporizer. It particularly relates to Vaporizers employedto supply a mixture of steam and medicinal vapor to relieve respiratoryailments.

One type of vaporizer employs an electric resistance heater immersed inthe water to be vaporized. It is desirable to devise means to preventthe closing of the circuit through the heater unless the unit is inplace in the water container and the mouth of the container sealed. Thisis especially true where the resistance unit is suspended from the lidby hinged metal straps, since the hinges carry the electric current tothe resistance unit and are not covered by electric insulation.

An object of this invention is to make it substantially impossible inordinary operation to send electric current through the heater unlessthe lid covers the vaporizing chamber.

Another object is to make it impossible to remove the resistance heaterfrom the vaporizing chamber without first breaking the circuit throughthe heater.

These objects are attained by devising means whereby the placing of thelid in position on the vaporizing chamber serves to complete that partof the circuit carried by the apparatus. This is accomplished in one ofseveral Ways. In one the lid alone carries the current to the heater,and an electric push button or the like on the lid is closed by anabutting surface upon the water container or upon the outer frame orvessel in which the container is carried. In another embodiment thecustomary two electric lead posts are carried by a flange formed on theouter vessel or upon the water container, conductors being providedwhich contact corresponding connectors carried by the lid. The principleinvolved is the division of the electric circuit between the lid, whichsuspends the heater, and the water containing assembly unit. In stillanother embodiment the two electric lead posts are carried by the lid,the circuit being open or incomplete until a conducting bar carried bysaid flange fits into the open part of the circuit upon placing the lidon the vaporizing chamber.

In its preferred form one lead post is mounted on the lid, and thesecond post is mounted on the outer vessel or on the water container. Itis thereby rendered impossible to plug in the vaporizer to currentunless the lid is in place. It is also impossible to remove the lid, andthe heater attached thereto, unless the electric plug is taken off theposts.

The drawing is a vertical view, partly in section, of this embodiment orpreferred form.

The apparatus includes an outer cylindrical vessel having a side wall 1,a bottom plate 2, and an upper flange 3 which screw-threadedly engagesthe lid at 4. The lid 5 is formed with a flange 17 the lower face ofwhich seats upon or faces ledge 18 of flange 3. Two metal suspendingstraps 6 and 7 fastened in the lid 5 are hinged at hinges 8 to brackets9 which are fixed to cylindrical ceramic medicament cup 10. Electricconductors, not shown, lead from brackets 9 to the resistance coil.

2,764,666 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 Water can be received directly in theouter vessel 1, in which case a suitable sealing gasket and flange isprovided on the lid. In the preferred form shown a transparent glass orplastic container 12 is employed, and the mouth sealed by a ring gasket13 of sponge rubber or the like attached to the mouth of container 12 orto the underface of lid 5. The container is filled half full of water,below the cup 10. Side walls 1 of the outer vessel may be apertured ormade in the form of an open cage or frame. Container 12 can rest uponledge 2 or be removably suspended from lid 5 by any conventional means,such as a screw thread coupling, not shown. In the form shown in thedrawing container 12 is supported on ledge 2 and is not attached to thelid 5. The steam passes upwardly around cup 10 and outwardly throughbore 15 in the lid and bore 14 in the spout 16.

Electric current is supplied by connecting an electric plug, not shown,to lead posts 19 and 20. Post 19 is fastened to lid 5. Post 20 isfastened to flange 3 of the outer vessel or frame 1. Formed on post 20is an electric connector element 21 which projects upwardly through theledge 18 of the flange 3. When the lid is screwed into place connector21 is received in a recess 22 formed in the lower face of flange 17 ofthe lid. An electric connector or conducting bar 23 is fastened to thearcuate wall of recess 22. When the lid is in place current passes frompost 20 through elements 21 and 23 to conducting strap 7. The other leadpost 19 is connected to strap 6.

The invention is not limited to the type of heater suspension shown.Heater 11 can be directly and fixedly attached to the lid. Cup 10 can beremovably mounted on the heater or in or on the lid. Thesevariations areknown in the art.

Flange 3 may be an organic plastic rim fixed upon vessel 1 which may bea glass jar. Inner container 12 is thus dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A steam vaporizer comprising a water container assembly including acontainer having a mouth, a removable lid for the mouth, an electricresistance heater suspended from the lid inside the container, twoelectric terminals fixedly carried by the steam vaporizer and adapted tobe directly connected to an electric current source, electric conductorscarried by the lid and leading from said terminals and connected to theheater, one of said conductors having an open part in its circuit, anadditional electric conductor carried by means provided by the watercontainer assembly in position to connect the said open part when thelid is placed on the mouth, the water container assembly being exclusiveof the lid.

2. A steam vaporizer comprising a water container assembly including awater container having a mouth, a removable lid for the mouth, anelectric resistance heater suspended from the lid inside the container,an electric lead post on the lid, the post being connected to theheater, a second electric lead post on said water container assembly, anelectric conductor carried by the lid connected at one end to the heaterand having its other end in position to make electric connection withthe said second electric lead post when the lid is on the mouth, thewater container assembly being exclusive of the lid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the two lead posts are positionedadjacent each other when the lid is on the mouth, whereby an electricplug can be attached thereto.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the heater is suspended from thelid by means of uninsulated hinged metal elements which serve aselectric conductors to the heater.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the water container assemblyincludes an outer supporting member inside which is the Water container,the supporting member having an upper aperture into which the lid fits,the second lead post being on the supporting member adjacent theaperture, the electric connection from the second lead post to theelectric conductor carried by the lid being through a contact elementcarried by the lid and through a second contact element on thesupporting member, the elements coming in contact when the lid is inplace.

6. A steam vaporizer apparatus comprising a removable lid, an electricresistance heater attached to the lower face thereof, water containermeans having a mouth closed by the lid, two electric terminals fixedlycarried by the apparatus and adapted to be directly connected to anelectric current source, electric connections leading from saidterminals to the heater, a second means which is separable from the lid,part of said electric connections being carried by'the lid and part bythe said second means, whereby upon removing the lid the electricconnection from one of the terminals to the heater is automaticallysevered.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which one of the said terminals is on thelid and the other on the said second means.

8. A steam vaporizer apparatus comprising a removable lid, an electricresistance heater attached to the lower face thereof, Water containermeans having a mouth closed by the lid, two electric terminals carriedby the apparatus, electric connections leading from said terminals tothe heater, a second means which is separable from the lid, part of saidelectric connections being carried by the lid and part by the saidsecond means, whereby upon removing the lid the electric connection fromone of the 4 terminals to the heater is severed, said terminals beinglead posts, one of said posts being on the lid and the other on thesecond means, the two lead posts being positioned adjacent each otherwhen the lid is in position on the mouth of the container, whereby anelectric plug can be attached to said posts only when the lid is inplace.

9. A steam vaporizer comprising a water container assembly including acontainer having a mouth, a removable lid for the mouth, an electricresistance heater suspended from the lid inside the container, twoelectric terminals fixedly carried by the vaporizer, said terminalsbeing adapted to be connected to an electric current source, electricconducting means leading from the two terminals to the resistanceheater, part of said conducting means being carried by the lid and partcarried by the water container assembly, whereby the electric circuitfrom the two terminals through the conducting means and the electricheater is completed only when the lid is in place on the mouth and isautomatically opened when the lid is removed from the mouth, the Watercontainer assembly being exclusive of the lid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,051,719 Katzman Aug. 18, 1936 2,152,122 Wilcox Mar. 28, 1939 2,387,155Katzman Oct. 16, 1945

